The following information may help you decide which conditions are absolute emergencies, and which ones may let you take a "wait and see" attitude. If your dog is sick or injured and you are unsure of the severity of the condition, it is always best to err on the side of caution, and contact your veterinarian (or emergency clinic) right away.

Contact your veterinarian immediately if your dog:

Has signs of heart or respiratory disease including:

No pulse or heart beat

No breathing or severe difficulty breathing

Bluish or white gums or tongue

A near drowning

Has been exposed to a toxin or poison or has had trauma including:

A broken bone, or a cut that exposes a bone

Heavy bleeding that cannot be stopped

An eye injury, the eye is out of the socket, or appears enlarged or protruding

A fight, especially if it was with a cat or a wild, or unvaccinated animal

A wound from a bullet or arrow

Being hit by a vehicle or other large fast-moving object

Puncture wounds to the abdomen or chest

Any trauma to the head

A bite from a snake, scorpion, or poisonous spider; or has bitten a toad

Porcupine quills imbedded in the mouth, face, or body

A broken tooth, or the loss of a healthy tooth, including the root (keep the tooth in a small jar of milk)

A severe laceration, or an incision that has opened and the skin is gaping

A head tilt, nystagmus (eyes move rapidly from side to side), staggering, walking in circles, knuckling over (walking on the top of the foot), unable to use hind limbs, or other problems moving

Severe or continuous pain

Sudden inability to bear weight on one or more limbs

Has signs of urinary or reproductive problems including:

Difficulty giving birth: no puppy after 24 hours of beginning labor; no puppy after 1 hour of active straining; over 4 hours between deliveries; weak or infrequent contractions once labor has started; failed to start delivery within 24 hours of the temperature dropping below 99°F; crying or licking the genital area excessively; abnormal bleeding or vaginal discharge; weakness

A male in whom the penis is exposed and cannot be withdrawn back into the sheath (the hair-covered area that usually encloses the penis)

Straining continually but unable to pass urine, or the urine has blood in it

Crying while trying to urinate

Bleeding from the urinary or genital area

Contact your veterinarian the same day if your dog:

Has signs of heart or respiratory disease including:

Some difficulty breathing, shallow breathing, or breathing at a faster rate (unassociated with physical exercise or environmental temperature)

Continuous sneezing or coughing

Has signs related to digestion or food and water consumption including:

Not eating or drinking for 24 hours

Vomiting or diarrhea for more than 24 hours and acting depressed

Drinking water excessively, unrelated to activity or environmental temperature

Has signs of nervous system or muscular disease including:

Sudden change in behavior

Crying when touched or picked up

Cloudy eyes, squinting, or appears to be unable to see

Sudden, severe lameness

Has signs of urinary or reproductive problems including:

A retained afterbirth for over 8 hours

A female who has had an unwanted breeding

A female who is pregnant or nursing her young and develops a red, swollen, or painful breast

A male with swollen testicles or scrotum

Has signs associated with the skin including:

A rash, excessive shedding, excessive head shaking, or persistent scratching or chewing at spots on the body

Abnormal lumps or bumps that are painful, red, and/or hot to the touch

Maggots

A nosebleed for no apparent reason, bruising easily, or tiny red dots on the skin